


I keep bees

by KitsuneArashi



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Beekeeper!Castiel, Beekeeper!Dean, Beekeeping, Fluff, M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-06 19:51:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8766721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitsuneArashi/pseuds/KitsuneArashi
Summary: Prompt: I’m a bee keeper. I see a bee, I keep it. I don’t care whose bee it is. Should have been watching it better.





	

Dean’s raised his bees for a long time. Long enough that when less and less bees come home each day, he notices.   
  
At first he didn’t think much of it, it’s normal to lose a few bees and, with the number of hives he owns, it wasn’t really a big deal. But when it starts to affect his honey yields, when he notices hives struggling, that’s when he really starts to worry.   
  
“Sammy I don’t get it.” He rants into the phone. “They were doing fine and now it’s like they’re dying or something. I’m hundreds of bees down, and I have no idea where they are.”   
  
“Hmm.” His brother makes a considering noise. “Are you using pesticides?”   
  
“I’m not an idiot!” Dean snaps. “Of course not!”   
  
“What about your neighbors?” Sam replies, ignoring the tone.   
  
“No, I’ve spoken to them all in the past.” Dean is pacing, his bees were important to him. He inherited the bee farm from an old neighbor, Cain, and he’d made the old man a promise that he’d take care of it. “Wait! A new guy moved in recently actually.”   
  
“Have you asked him not to use pesticides?” Sam asked.   
  
“No! Shit!” Dean slaps his head in frustration. “I should go and talk to him.”   
  
“Probably a good idea.” Sam agreed. “Good luck Dean, hopefully he’s easier to talk to than Victor was.”   
  
“Yeah. Ugh. Thanks Sammy, talk later.” Running a hand through his hair nervously, Dean disconnected the call.

“Well. No time like the present.” He decided, psyching himself up and heading out the front door.   
  
Dean slid into the driver’s seat of his sleek, black ‘67 Chevy Impala and carefully made his way down the gravel drive to the connecting road, driving a few minutes before turning down into the next driveway, running parallel to his own.   
  
As he pulled up in front of the weathered ranch house he was practicing what he’d say, he didn’t want to come across as too confrontational or he’d risk starting out on the wrong foot and make the guy harder to deal with, he’d learned that the hard way.   
  
“Can I help you?” A deep voice asked through the open car window, jolting him from his thoughts and making him jump.    
  
“Uh yeah.” He swallowed and made to get out of the car, waiting for the man outside to step backwards so he could push open the door.   
  
“Yes?” The man asked, and Dean looked up startled. The man was wearing a beekeeping veil. 

“Uh.” Dean was thrown, if the man kept his own bees it was unlikely that he was using pesticides. “You raise bees?” He asked instead.

“I do.” The man tilted his head and Dean got the impression he was being squinted at, though it was hard to tell through the protective fabric. “Oh.” As if suddenly realizing he was wearing it, the man tugged it off his head. “I’m Castiel.” he extended his hand and Dean was curious to see that it was bare.   
  
“I’m Dean. I raise bees as well.” he reached out to shake the man’s outstretched hand, finally looking up into his face.   
  
Dean felt his mouth go dry, the man was gorgeous. Deep blue eyes peered curiously at him from a tanned face. Raven hair sat in disarray on his head, mussed from too long under the bee veil and a pink tongue snaked out to moisten plump, full lips. A jolt went through him as their hands connected and he pulled his hand away, startled.   
  
Castiel nodded. “So, can I help you?” He asked again.   
  
“Uh, maybe?” Dean swallowed. “My hives are dying.”   
  
“Dying?” The man asked in alarm, eyebrows shooting up. “What’s wrong?”   
  
“I don’t know!” Dean wailed. “I’d come over here to ask you if you were using pesticides and if you’d please stop. But clearly you aren’t and I have no idea why I’m losing bees.”   
  
“Let me see your hives?” Castiel suggested. “Maybe I can help.”   
  
Dean nodded and motioned to his car, sliding back into the driver's seat and waiting for Castiel to follow. He noticed that the man kept hold of his veil, opting to bring it with them. On the short drive back to Dean’s property they made polite conversation, asking how they each got into bees and Dean was amused to learn that Castiel had woken up one morning, high on painkillers after breaking his arm, and spent the day in the garden, just watching the bees.    
  
Dean watched in awe as Castiel checked his hives, stepping forward with only the veil for protection, bare hands carefully opening the lip to his top-bar-hives. “Aren’t you afraid they’ll sting you?” He asked, watching as a bee landed on Castiel’s hand and crawled up onto his sleeve.   
  
“I worry a little, since they’d die if they did.” Castiel admitted, looking back over his shoulder. “But it’s easier with my hands bare, I’m too clumsy with gloves, I might damage something.”   
  
“So?” Dean asked nervously when Castiel made his way back from checking the last of the sick hives. “What am I doing wrong?”   
  
“I’m not sure.” The blue eyed man replied, looking thoughtful. “They don’t seem unwell, it’s like they’re just leaving.”   
  
“But, why would they just leave?” Dean started out at his hives forlornly. “What about your bees? Could it be a territory thing?”   
  
Castiel looked like something just came to him and he turned guilty eyes towards Dean. “I only brought two hives with me.”   
  
“Two? But you had a whole bunch.” Dean protested. “I saw them.”   
  
“I… uh.” Castiel flicked his eyes away. “Well, my bees are Caucasian bees.”   
  
Dean blinked. “They’re white bees?”    
  
“It’s a species… they’re European honey bees.” Castiel tried to hide a smirk, eyes sparkling and Dean blushed.    
  
“Oh.” He ducked his head. “I inherited mine from a neighbor so I couldn’t tell you what they are.”   
  
“Well…” Castiel looked away again. “I noticed that your bees are Carnolian.”   
  
“And?” Dean prompted, knowing there was more Castiel had to say.   
  
“They tend to swarm. To, uh… to leave and find new hives.” He raised his eyes to meet Dean’s green ones. “They require constant attention and care.”   
  
“Alright so they just left?” Dean was relieved they weren’t all dying like he’d feared.   
  
“Yes. I can probably bring them back over to you.” Castiel mumbled, looking away nervously.   
  
“Ok.” Dean agreed, looking out at his hives thoughtfully. “Wait what?”   
  
“I uh, I have a few hives of Carnolian hives that formed over the past month. They’re probably yours.” Castiel watched Dean carefully.   
  
“You stole my bees Cas?” Dean looked affronted, though a small smile played at his lips.   
  
“Not on purpose!”  Castiel defended himself. “I’m a beekeeper! I keep bees! I didn’t know they belonged to someone, maybe you should have been watching them better.”    
  
Dean laughed. “Beekeeper indeed. Go ahead and keep em Cas.” He offered with a smile. “On one condition.”    
  
“Yes?” Castiel asked, head tilted to the side watching Dean struggle to speak.   
  
Dean swallowed nervously before blurting “Come inside for dinner.”    
  
“Okay.” Castiel grinned and gestured for Dean to lead the way, stopping to gently brush a stray bee off his sleeve, watching as it slowly flew back towards the hives.   
  
“Are you coming Cas?” Dean called from the doorway, a happy smile on his face.   
  
“Be right there.” Castiel replied, heart beating a little faster when Dean’s bright smile widened.   



End file.
